In the intimacy of Toulouse-Lautrec at the Château du Bosc
Pending the appeal of the lawsuit brought by the descendants of Toulouse-Lautrec, the Putzola spouses continue to honor the painter at the Château du Bosc.
After three years of investigation, hundreds of testimonies and national media coverage, justice finally released the Putzola spouses on September 15, 2021 at the Rodez court. Dismissed of all their requests, the Toulouse-Lautrec family appealed the judgment.
For the record, around fifteen descendants of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec accused the couple of owners of having taken advantage of the vulnerability of Nicole Tapié de Celeyran, the painter’s great-grandniece. The latter died in 2015 after appointing them “universal legatees”.
While waiting for this new trial, visiting this castle is an irreplaceable experience for lovers of Lautrec, who come in large numbers to Albi, on the occasion of the events around the centenary of the donation of the painter’s works to the city of Albi.
Time stands still at Camjac. Here the castle; with its sang-de-bœuf woodwork, the intact family furniture, the painter’s cradle, the Belle Époque chairs in the garden… Nothing seems to have changed since that time.
The castle imposes itself in a rural setting: the park is dashing, flowered by Corinne. Alone, the remarkable plane tree of Hippocrates was decapitated from its beautiful height by the storm of June 17, 2021. After renovation work in 2016 (roofs and frames), the Putzola spouses are putting the cover back on: “We are continuing to bring it up to standard ” explains Jean-Claude Putzola “on the electrical, plumbing and safety part, with the addition of fire extinguishers. The public toilet blocks have also been redone (tiling, new elements and creation of a new evacuation). old, and we have huge surprises, says the owner.”
And a reward, obtained in August 2021 for Corinne and Jean-Claude, since the Occitanie Region and Bercy awarded the Château the “Qualité Tourisme Occitanie sud de France” label. “A pride” for the spouses, who obtained it after numerous audits and mystery visits. “We have also improved the geographical visibility of the castle, now indicated on the N 88 by panels, as well as the accesses listed on GPS”.
Digitize unpublished works
The cultural heritage of the castle is impressive. One of Jean-Claude Putzola’s wishes is to protect the works: “the cultural and artistic heritage of the castle consists of letters from Lautrec, letters and correspondence from the family, drawings by the painter, charcoals (here he mainly drew an auctioneer has carried out an inventory, I wish that everything the castle is protected, nothing is done to date!
Since then, Corinne Putzola has worked and learned a lot about the history of this unique family and its castle, in order to offer the public unforgettable visits, embellished with crisp anecdotes…